Out of eleven councillors in the district, only Abraham Kitacho, the Abim Town Council male councillor and the district speaker, Godfrey Omara, rejected the proposed amendment. The position of the district chairperson Jimmy Ochero is, however, yet to be revealed since he has reportedly been out of the country since the consultations commenced.
Appearing before the committee in the company of some members of the NRM Central Executive Committee CEC and National Executive Council NEC, Todwong stated that the Constituent Assembly CA agreed that age limits should not be imposed on persons seeking political office.
In the meeting, held on Tuesday at the Youth Centre in Kotido town, six councillors voted to reject the proposed amendment while nine abstained. Those who rejected the proposal, brought as a private members bill by Igara West MP Raphael Magyezi, vowed to protect, preserve and defend the constitution.
Richard Ssegirinya, the Kiwangala parish NRM party chairperson and a key mobiliser for Mbabaali, says they briefed the MP about the peoples feelings on the bill but he ignored their input.
Muhirwa said that there was a reason why the framers of the 1995 constitution restricted the presidential age limit at between 35 and 75 years of age, saying they should be respected.
Mathias Mpuuga, the Masaka Municipality Member of Parliament is the latest opposition legislator to return the money. Mpuuga returned the money to the finance office in parliament on Thursday afternoon.
The resolution was reached on Sunday at a meeting held in Fort Portal. The meeting at Fort Fun City Hotel was called by President Yoweri Musevenis Political Affairs Private Secretary, David Mafabi. Mafabi said the RDCs will with effect from Tuesday this week mobilise the community in their respective districts to support the amendment ahead of consultative meetings by the area MPs.
Both opposition and the ruling party legislators are engaged in closed-door meetings ahead of a possible showdown this afternoon over a motion seeking to lift the presidential age limits from the constitution.
It was a chaotic day at Makerere University as students mobilised to march to parliament in protest of the planned removal of the presidential age limits.
As the debate on the presidential age limit continues in the public domain, some religious leaders have voiced their opposition to any designs to amend Article 102b of the constitution. The article seals the age of the president at between 35 and 75 years beyond which an individual cannot stand for the highest office.
